The National Association of Workforce Boards

The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) provides comprehensive services that help workforce boards make informed, smart decisions about how to invest in workforce strategies that align with the needs of their community. NAWB is partnering with the Education and Employment Research Center on the Adult College Completion Initiative to provide expert technical assistance to workforce regions during the implementation of adult college completion.

MEET THE TEAM

Michael Lawrence - NAWB

Michael Lawrence has over 35 years of diverse experience in the Workforce Development field. Mike has experience with workforce development in leading two Local Workforce Investment Boards, engaging workforce development within higher education and in various consulting capacities.

With the National Association of Workforce Boards and Rutgers University Education and Employment Research Center, assisted in a Lumina funded project to align Adult College Completion with the public workforce system. Mike has also developed integrated human services programs, assisted with US Department of Labor H1B and ReXO projects, and assisted numerous Local Workforce Investment Boards in aligning their personnel and resources.

At Penn State University, Mike was the Director of Workforce Development Initiatives in the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. In this position, Mike supervised and directed the Pennsylvania Plastics Initiative, the CareerLink Credentialing Project (Pennsylvania’s one stop system), developed health care management and supervision education for incumbent workers and developed the Center for Regional Economic and Workforce Analysis. He also spearheaded a Collaborative Online Education and Training Portal Demonstration project with the US Department of Labor, the states of Mississippi, Maine, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. In this capacity he worked closely with the Rutgers Center for Women and Work where this office evaluated this project.

Prior to that, Mike was the Workforce Investment Board director for the North Central Workforce Investment Board and the Private Industry Council Director prior to that. As part of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, Mike worked closely with the entire commission to link workforce with economic and community development in a developmental effort noted as Enterprise Development.

Throughout his career, Mike has developed, led and facilitated many boards in assisting at local, regional, state and national levels. With some at the request of the US Department of Labor and others at the request of states and regional boards, Mike has been effective in helping boards and groups develop effective county, regional, and national emphasis, with particular skills in regional, rural areas.

Mike has been a member of the National Workforce Association and served a term as Vice President and has served with the National Association of Counties, including serving on its Board of Directors. Mike was a founding member of the US Department of Labor’s Enterprise Council that established continuous improvement standards for workforce development and job training programs. Mike has also served as Chairman twice of Pennsylvania Partners, the PA State Workforce Association, and has held many leadership posts and similar responsibilities across state, regional, and local commissions and boards.

Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and completed coursework at Penn State University in the Masters of Science in Workforce Education with emphasis in Human Resources and Training.

Residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, John P. Metcalf has been involved in tackling workforce development and education challenges for 20 years. First as a member of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board where he served as the Vice-chair; then as a senior partner with the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; and now as President Workforce Systems Associates.

Workforce Systems Associates has led workforce, education, and community visioning efforts for 15 years and has managed projects in 41 states at both state and local levels with an emphasis on engaging community stakeholders to create strategies that build on a new vision.

Before his involvement with solving community workforce and education challenges, John spent 30 years at AT&T in a broad range of sales, marketing, and executive leadership positions allowing him to bring a business focus to workforce and education. As former General Manager Business Network Sales for both North and South Carolina, John was able to focus on the education as a way to prepare future graduates for a global community and a competitive work place.

John continues to serve Charlotte-Mecklenburg and North Carolina in a variety of volunteer positions centering on workforce, economic and education initiatives.